Our client had recently acquired a historic farm, set in beautiful surroundings. The farm buildings were empty and the house untouched for decades. To the rear of the house there was a single skin brick lean-to extension.
Our client was looking to turn the house into a home for themselves and convert two outbuildings into workshops and self-catering accommodation. They wanted to preserve the charm of the site but enhance the standard of living accommodation and bring the farm buildings into use.
Vernacular Homes looked carefully at all the aspects of the project and applied for planning consent for conversion of the oast and granary. The existing rear extension to the house was to be demolished and replaced with a larger two storey extension with kitchen/dining room, and bedrooms and bathrooms above. A linking element was proposed to form a boot room which we used to link to an attractive stone outbuilding.
We spent two years working through the projects individually. The project is a real triumph of detail which retains the original charm of the site. The buildings have lovingly retained their agricultural heritage with reused weatherboard externally and floorboards internally. Where possible the historic timbers are kept on show. Our team built a balcony to replace a rotten staircase to the first floor of the granary and constructed some beautiful round arched windows for the lower floor. The original oast roofs had been removed at some point in the past and we obtained consent for their reconstruction based on historic photos.
The house was heated by ground source heat pumps installed in boreholes and linked back to a plant room in the house.
We specialise in preserving traditional features and architecture in old properties and in this case, the client was equally keen to retain as much of the building’s character as possible. They requested that the newly refurbished walls in the oast retain their traditional agricultural appearance, which we achieved by using fire rated plywood and reclaimed weatherboard. We also refitted a skewed doorframe, without correcting its awkward angles to retain its original, quirky appearance.
Far from a challenge, we relished the opportunity to enhance these beautiful, authentic features.
The revived character and enhanced features of the final properties are a wonderful example of how traditional agricultural buildings can be brought back to life and turned into beautiful homes and accommodation.
“The decision to buy our property was rash at best. The prospect of this classic Georgian farmhouse becoming our home, with its array of charming outbuildings, a wild garden and swathes of daffodils all bathed in the spring sunshine, melted our resolve to avoid a project.
“The decision to ask Vernacular Homes to take on that project, however, turned a rash decision into one of the best we have ever made. A two-year project ensued to renovate and re-model a house barely touched since the 1960s, cleverly linking it to one of the outbuildings and saving two others from near dereliction by converting them into delightful self-catering accommodation and workshops. From the initial meeting and design stage right through to completion, working with VH was a positive, surprisingly enjoyable experience – the only stress came from the relentless decision-making!
“They listened and advised, offered ideas and successfully interpreted some of our quirkier ones. Preserving the view of the farmhouse, and particularly the oast conversion, from the gateway was important for us and successfully achieved by thoughtful design. One of the stranger things we asked of them was to finish the newly insulated walls in the converted oast stowage area to resemble its original timber shed construction. They did it beautifully and appeared to relish the challenge, likewise, re-fitting an original and ridiculously lop-sided door frame against all their natural instincts.
“It goes without saying that the quality of their work from design onwards was first class but for us what made Vernacular outstanding was their care, not just for the customer, and the site but the surrounding community who were impacted by the disruption and intrusion of a building site on their doorstep.
“Our neighbours were as equally impressed by the site management and the VH team as we were. We only moved into the house towards the end of the first year but throughout, both the project and site manager kept in communication with the neighbours directly, dealing with their concerns, warning of any unavoidable inconvenience in advance and ensuring that the narrow no-through road remained as accessible and mud-free as possible.
“Similarly, they took very particular care to protect a special area of the garden during the most destructive phase of the works, making their job significantly more awkward.
“Our concerns were always met with courtesy and positivity, and queries were always dealt with quickly. Their willingness to advise and be a resource for information still continues, something we every much appreciate – thank you VH.”
“We thoroughly enjoyed working on this project; it really played to our strengths in planning, design and the precise craftsmanship required for such a detailed build.
“It was a pleasure to work with clients with a great eye for detail, and such enthusiasm for restoring beautiful old buildings.
“We’re also pleased to hear that our client’s neighbours were happy with how we managed the project. It’s important to us to treat any nearby residents who could be affected by our work with the same care and courtesy as we show to our clients. It’s all part of the service —going the extra mile to help our homeowners build and maintain harmonious relationships with their neighbours, ensuring they can fully enjoy all aspects of their home for years to come.”
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